MONTREAL – Starting in August, the City of Montreal will introduce a new set of taxi policies that include better security measures, according to Mayor Denis Coderre.
Take a look at what the four changes include:
• mandatory cameras in all cabs to protect both drivers and passengers
• GPS installed in every taxi to make it easier for first responders to locate missing cars
• electronic payment devices will be required to reduce the possibility of robbery or other crime
• taxis will adopt a universal colour to project a more modern and professional image
The change comes after the city’s taxi commission released a report in May stating that greater safety measures needed to be taken.
The study was commissioned after the death of taxi driver Ziad Bouzid, 45, who was shot and killed in Côte-des-Neiges in 2013.
He was found dead behind his steering wheel on Darlington Avenue.
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“In the long term, drivers will accept that this is important for their safety,” said Dory Saliba, head of Quebec’s taxi industry committee.
“People with limitations will feel more safe in taxis. Women will feel more safe because they know they are being filmed.”
Montreal’s mayor said that the city’s taxi drivers also need to feel safe.
“Taxi drivers are our ambassadors, and they are important contributors to mobility in Montreal,” said Coderre.
“Let’s give them the framework they need for their safety and for assuring first rate customer service.”
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Coderre also made it clear that footage from the cameras would only be available to police for investigative purposes.
READ MORE: Why taxi drivers are so upset about car-for-hire apps
“Everyone has to do their part,” Coderre said.
Coderre did not give a cost estimate, but he said the changes would be mandatory and a fund would be set up.
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